Thoughts on the NFL Conference Championship Round
By Scott Burks
So much for my prediction of the Steelers
not making it to the Super Bowl early this season. Early in the
season I wrote that the Steelers' offensive line will prevent them from
making the Super Bowl. So much for that prediction! The
Steelers' offensive line improved late in the season and it carried over
into the playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, the offensive line held
the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens to zero and four sacks
respectively. While the running game didn't get untracked in the
Ravens game (then again, who does?), the improved play of the Steelers'
offensive line has given their running game new life the last few weeks.
If the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl, the offensive line has to
come up big.
How about those Arizona Cardinals? I
guess we can now say that hell has officially been frozen. The
Cardinals shocked the world in beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC
Championship game. What was more impressive was in the fashion in how
the Cardinals won that game. They jumped on the Eagles early,
repeatedly hitting the Eagles in the mouth in the first half. While
getting hit back from the Eagles in the second half, the Cardinals did not
fold in the face of adversity and found a way to win the game. That is
what champions do and are EXPECTED to do. As a result, the Cardinals
are the 2008-2009 NFC champions
This could be the end of an era for the
Baltimore Ravens defense. We could be witnessing the end of an era
in Baltimore. Several members of one of the sickest defenses in the
NFL are unrestricted free agents. Those name include linebackers Ray
Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott. Defensive backs Jim Leonhard and Corey
Ivy are as well. If three or more of those names find greener pastures
elsewhere, it would be hard to imagine that the Ravens' defense will be
playing at a high level in 2009 and beyond. It is a doggone shame that
defense was crippled by a dreadful offense during a stretch where it should
have brought home more than one Super Bowl title.
What the hell just happened (Take II)?
The Arizona Cardinals will be going to the Super Bowl.
Even after typing that, I still cannot believe it.
